Hammarlund HQ-170C Communications Receiver (1958)

I got this Hammarlund HQ-170C radio as part of a package when I bought my HQ-160. Since I don't listen to ham radio, I eventually sold it and used the money to buy a Hallicrafters SX-42.

This set was complete, original, and sparkling clean, although cosmetically not quite as spiffy as my other two Hammarlunds. Two of its knobs were not original, as you can see in the photo. It had some minor scratches in the paint, and some pinpoint rust on the cabinet face. The dinky knob was also missing from the clock, a curse that afflicts many clock radios.

The HQ-170 has seventeen tubes. Here's the lineup.

This was not a cheap radio when new. It sold for $359, about the same price as the HQ-160. Not much money for today's gear, but $359 went a long way in the late 1950s.